


Same Old Lang Syne

by thblackflame



Series: Week of Christmas Ficage [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Christmas, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 09:21:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2845928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thblackflame/pseuds/thblackflame
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They let each other go once.  They can't do it this time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Same Old Lang Syne

**Author's Note:**

> Christmas fics~! I love Christmas fics. They are always so much fun to write, and especially fun to read. This particular Christmas Fic is actually fic one in a week long Christmas ficage~! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
> 
> Note Prt Teh 2nd:  
> So all of the fics are based on Christmas songs, this one being "Same Old Lang Syne." Basically, I've always wondered what would happen if he went after her. So here we go! With more "he" and less "her." XD

"Peas…peas…where are the damn peas?" I clenched my teeth as my eyes searched. Why was I even looking for peas? I hated peas. Oh, because my mom asked me to go out in the damn snow on freaking Christmas Eve to get some stupid peas. Because apparently my first visit back home in years warranted Christmas Eve dinner. With peas. 

"I told you I was going to the grocery store, Ken. We need stuff."

There was something about the dispassionate voice, the way the tone just sank and dropped like a dead thing that made me glace over at the only other person in the frozen foods. I had to double-take when I recognized the shock of orange hair.

"I'll be home when I'm done here, Ken. We can talk then. Just…jut let me have this time. Please."

I moved closer, coming up behind him as he paused. 

"Yeah. Me too."

He hung up the phone, opening the freezer to pull out a bag of broccoli with the hand that held the mobile. I was close enough to touch him now, and I reached a hand out for his sleeve.

"Hinata?"

He turned, looking surprised, but not with any recognition. After a moment his eyes flew open wide, just staring at me. "S-Suga?!"

I grinned at him, pulling my hand back and shoving both into my pockets. "Hey. It's been a while."

Hinata gave a short laugh and hopped a little before he made to throw his arms around me. He managed to drop his mobile and the broccoli. The phone skittered across the linoleum and crashed into the base of the freezer on the other side of the aisle. There was an unfortunate cracking sound and we both stared at the phone for a second before we burst into laughter. It was just so Hina. 

We stood there laughing for a long minute while Hina moved to pick up his mobile and examine it. We laughed harder when Hina showed me the screen was cracked. It probably wasn't the usual response to something like that but it was just…so him. I had tears in my eyes when I finally composed myself again.

Hina wiped a few tears of his own from his eyes, still chuckling. "Well. It might still work."

I bent and picked up his broccoli and tossed it in his basket for him. "Well, that's good then." I smiled, putting my hands back into my pockets. They itched to reach out to touch him again and that just wouldn't do. It had been too long since high school. "How are things?" I asked instead.

Hina looked up from his mobile. He smiled as he shoved the phone in the back pocket of his jeans, but the smile didn't quite meet his eyes. Someone who didn't know him well might not have noticed it, but I knew the difference. 

"Oh, great. Great!" He moved to the cart and turned it around. "Hey, come with me to check out and then we can go get a drink or something."

I smiled back at him, concerned, but I couldn't really ask him what was wrong. It wasn't my place to say anything. "Sure. That would be great."

By the time we got to the self check out, we were both silent. It was a little embarrassing, not knowing what to say. It had been so long since we'd seen each other. I bagged for him while he rang his groceries up. I wished that I could think of something to talk about. The silence between us seemed like a gaping cavern that was just getting wider as we stood without speaking. Hina paid for his groceries and we headed out to his car, filling the trunk up before he offered to drive to a bar.

We couldn't seem to find an open bar, though. It seemed that Christmas Eve wasn't the time to go get drunk. The silence continued to grow between us as Hina drove around the area and I started to get twitchy just as I spotted my salvation. 

"Hey!" I pointed through the windshield. "There's a convenience store. Why don't we just a couple cans of beer and do that instead?"

Hina looked in the direction I was pointed. "Sounds good!" He checked his blind spot and shot across three lanes of traffic before coming to a stop in front of the store. He put the car in park and pulled out his wallet, leafing through his cash. 

I put a hand on his. I smiled at him when he looked up, his eyes wide and innocent, just like back in high school when everything was innocent for us. "I got this," I told him.

"But-"

I shook my head. "You fly; I buy." My hand lingered on his for a moment and I got lost in his eyes. Hina dropped his gaze and pulled his hand away. I cleared my throat as I averted my gaze as well and got out of the car.

I got a half dozen Asahi, chuckling to myself at the pun, and took it to the counter to pay. The snow fell in huge flakes as I got back in the car with the bag and shook my head. Hina giggled as some of the flakes hit him and he reached over and brushed the snow off my shoulders and out of my hair. I shivered when his hand slid down the back of my neck and rested there for a moment. I looked at him, watching the emotions that played over his shadowed features.

He cleared his throat and pulled his hand back before putting the car back into drive. "So where should we go?"

I shrugged like his hand hadn't left tingles behind. "Wherever. Somewhere we can park would probably be best."

Hina nodded and took off, flying through traffic again to get in the lane he was looking for. Apparently he still drove like a maniac. I tried not to stomp my foot every time I thought he got too close to another car, but I did hold onto the "ah, shit!" bar as inconspicuously as possible.

Hina's eyes slid toward me when we were sitting at a light. I looked over in time to see his smirk as the light changed and we were off again. We ended up parking next to a playground. There was train station nearby, but there wasn't anyone around. Hina killed the engine and took his seat belt off before he turned in his seat a little to look at me.

I smiled at him as I reached into the bag and tossed him one of the beers before opening one for myself. "So how are things, Hina?"

He smiled at me, lowering his eyes to open the can. "I haven't been called that in a long time," he said after taking a drink. "Everyone just calls me Hinata or Shouyou."

I tilted my head. "Should I not?"

He looked up and smiled at me. "No. I don't mind. I kinda missed it."

We sat quietly for a moment. The only sound was of the snow falling on the roof of the car and my slipping out of my own seat belt. I started to take a sip of my beer before a better idea occurred to me. I smiled and held the can out to Hina. "To the innocence of our youth," I said.

Hina grinned at me, reaching out to tap his can against mine. "We weren't so innocent in our youth."

I licked my lips and blushed a little as I remembered a little of that not-so innocence. "Well then, how about we just toast to where we are in our lives now?"

The light that had been growing in his eyes faded suddenly and he just nodded. "Yeah. To now. Sure."

I wanted so badly to ask what it was I had said wrong, but I just couldn't make myself do it. Instead I said, "So, what are you doing these days? What kind of work do you do?" I tried to grin at him, but it felt more like a grimace. "Got a girlfriend?"

Hina took a gulp of his beer before he looked back at me. "Actually, I'm ah…I'm living with Kenma."

I blinked as I remembered the conversation in the grocery store. "Ken. Kenma." Then the named clicked. "Oh. Kenma…from Nekoma. Wow. Um…cool."

Hina nodded, evidently missing my discomfort. "We got together a few years ago, after he graduated college. He's an architect now. He's really successful."

I took another drink of my beer to hide another grimace. "That's great. He must take really good care of you."

Hina snorted, and then coughed to try and cover it up. "Uh, yeah. He does. Keeps a roof over my head and everything."

I blinked. That wasn't really how one described their partner. "And I'm sure you love him."

Hina blinked and looked back at me, tipping his beer up again. He shifted like he was nodding but it was more like a comforting rocking motion. He didn't speak again, but looked out the windshield, watching the snow fall. He looked so…depressed.

"Uh, so what are you doing? Working?"

Hina glanced at me through the corner of his eyes and nodded. "Something like that. I uh, went to art school after high school. I'm working at a publisher now. I'm an assistant artist."

I furrowed my brow. "Assistant artist?"

Hina looked back out the windshield and finish his beer. I automatically handed him another one. He opened it before he spoke again. "I help out the mangaka. Basically. Mostly filling in backgrounds, details. Things like that."

I blinked. "Really? I would have thought that you would be the mangaka."

Hina shrugged. "I'm working on it."

I finished my own beer and grabbed another one. "Well, I know you're gonna make it big." I smiled at him. "You were always drawing something in high school, and they were great. You're really talented."

Hina blinked and looked back at me. There was something in his eyes. I only got a glimpse of it, but in the shadows of the car, I couldn't tell if it was doubt or gratitude. "Thanks."

I nodded. "You're welcome."

"So," he continued, setting his beer in the cup holder. "You've been busy." He smiled at me, and it was a genuine smiled this time and I couldn't help but smile back. "I hear your songs on the radio all the time. You must be doing well."

I laughed. "Yeah. It's good. I mean, the traveling, that's shit. I hate it. But…" I smiled as I looked down at my can of beer, not really seeing it. "But, the fans are worth it. It's insane being on stage, all those people cheering and singing along with me. It makes everything…" I paused, thinking of the moment, right now, "Well almost everything, worth it." I didn't let myself look back at him. I didn't let myself think about what I had given up to get what I wanted.

Hina shifted, the sound making me look up to see him holding out his beer can. "To your success."

I grinned and held my beer out. "And to your future success."

Hina hesitated, but tapped his can against mine, a small smile playing over his lips. My grin broadened and reached over, ruffling that orange hair. "I know you'll do it."

As I pulled my hand away, the look in his eyes hit me. He gave me a sad smile and he shook his head a little. I wanted to reach back toward him, to pull him against me. To hold him, to kiss him until that empty look left his eyes, but I didn't. He was with Kenma. It wasn't my place. God, I still loved him.

"Why…"

I looked back up as he spoke, but he didn't continue. "Why?" I prompted.

Hina sighed and took a long drink. "Why…didn't it work?"

I sat back in my seat, shaking my head a little. "What do you mean?"

He looked back at me. "I…" he sighed and shook his head. "Never mind. I know why."

I opened my mouth to ask him again what he meant, but Hina shook his head and smiled again. "So, tell me about your life."

We talked forever. We never touched on a subject that made Hina frown again. When we started in on reminiscing about the past, Hina's eyes lit up again. We carefully didn't talk about us back then. We talked about the times we had with our friends, making certain that we only talked about the memories that involved all of us, and not just Hina and I alone. 

As we talked, I felt warmth I hadn't realized I'd missed. No matter how far we were from each other, no matter where our lives took us, we were still friends, and we would be friends forever. 

It was clear that Hina had kept in contact with everyone. I had tried for a while, but then work had gotten in the way. I vowed that wouldn't happen again. I wanted to bridge the distance of time between the people who had always supported me in my dreams. Most of all, I wanted to cross that distance with Hina because it seemed that no one had thought that he needed the support, and I knew that he didn't have it. So I would be that support. As a friend, I would support him and encourage him. Just as a friend.

"Oh!"

I blinked since I had been about to speak, but I followed his gaze toward the clock on the dash and blinked. It was midnight. We'd been talking for hours. "It's Christmas," I said.

Hina laughed. "Thanks, captain obvious."

I shot him a look and reached out to ruffle his hair again. Hina ducked away from my hand and I pulled back. He pursed his lips before he looked up at me again.

"I think we should probably head out," he said.

I looked down at the bag at me feet and realized it was full of empty cans. In that moment, I suddenly couldn't think of a single thing to say and I realized that my tongue was tired. I took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right."

Hina started his car again, pulling his seat belt on. "I'll take you home."

I shook my head. "I don't want to take you out of your way."

Hina shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I live down the street here, but I can still take you back. Are you staying in a hotel?"

I shook my head. "I'm staying with my mom for the holiday. Damn…she's going to kill me." I laughed. "I was supposed to come back with peas, and I forgot them."

Hina laughed. "You hate peas."

I smirked. "Yeah. I do. Mom insisted." Sighing, I looked at the clock again. "Look. Why don't you head home. I'll catch a cab."

"I can take you," he insisted.

I smiled and shook my head. "You should head home to Kenma. I'm sure he's wondering where you are. Weren't you supposed to go home and talk about something? I've kept you out late."

The smile faded from Hina's lips again. "Oh. Right. Yeah. I was, wasn't I?" He shrugged. "Well, it was you, so I'm sure he will understand."

I nodded and opened the door. "See you around, Hina."

"Suga!"

I stopped trying to get out of the car and turned back. Hina leaned over and laid a hand against my cheek as he gently kissed the other. I turned my head toward him as he started to pull away, and for a moment we stayed frozen like that, just staring at each other, our lips parted and our breath puffing out against them. Then Hina looked down and pulled away. 

"Don't be a stranger," he said as he sat back. "Give me a call."

I smiled, though it felt stiff on my face. "You, too. I want to know the minute you get your first comic published!"

Hina smiled at me and it looked just as stiff as mine felt. God, I didn't want to let him go, but…

I stood up and closed the car door. I watched him drive away, staring hard at the car until it turned a few streets down. As I turned to head for the main street to hail a cab and make my way back home, the snow turned into rain.

I hunched my shoulders against the cold drops and pulled my jacket hood over my head. I found a cab almost immediately once I hit the main street and for one second, I felt the old familiar pain from high school. The pain I felt when Hina told me to go off to a music school far away and leave him here to do his thing with a careless smile. I looked back in the direction I'd come from and I set my jaw. 

Not this time. I wasn't going to let him go this time.

I threw myself in the cab and gave the driver directions back to the park, then in the direction I'd seen Hina go. I looked down at my phone and dialed the number he'd just given me. The call went straight to voicemail. "Dammit."

I hung up and directed the driver to the road I saw Hina turn down. I tried to call again, and again it went to voicemail. I told the driver to slow down so I could look in all the driveways for the houses on the street, looking for Hina's car, hoping he didn't have a garage. I dialed his number again and it rang once, then static, then the call ended. I searched through the windows on both sides as I tried to call again. Straight to voicemail. I tried again. It rang!

I heard the call connect. "Hina?"

I looked at a house on my left side, then to the right and thought I saw a car that might be the one I was looking for. Just as I told him to drive to the one house, the call disconnected and I swore. I hit the dial button again and looked up, just as a silhouette waved the cab down. I made out the orange hair, plastered to his head just as the call connected.

"Suga?"

"Stop!" 

The driver slammed on the breaks just as we pulled up next to Hina. I dropped the phone and scooted over to the opening door. Hina stared at me as I reached out. I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the cab, wrapping my arms tightly around him.

"I'm not leaving this time," I whispered into his hair. He was soaking wet from the rain, but I didn't care. I crushed him against me, holding him tight. "I'm not leaving you again."

Hina sniffled as he pressed his face into my chest. He crawled into the back seat with me and his hands clung to the back of my jacket. "I'm not letting you go this time," he sobbed, holding me as tightly as I held him. "I'm not letting you leave me!"

He pulled away far enough to look up at me. His eyes were shining and there were tears mingling with the rain beading on his cheeks. He moved his hands to lie against both sides of my face and pulled me into a kiss. I lost myself in that kiss. The years that had past were swept away in that kiss and I gave myself into it, forgetting everything around me. I didn't come back to myself until the driver cleared his throat.

I broke the kiss, blushing as I realized the driver had witnessed the whole thing and glanced at him, noticing that he was averting his eyes from the rear-view mirror. "Will I be letting you out here, sir?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but Hina beat me to it. "No." He turned and grabbed a duffel that had apparently fallen when I'd pulled Hina into the car. "We're not getting out here." He closed the door behind him and leaned forward. "We're going to a hotel." Hina rattled off the name of some hotel that was close to my family home and the driver took off in that direction.

Hina leaned back again and pressed into my side like he couldn't get close enough. I wrapped my arm around him, trying to keep him warm since he was starting to shiver. I looked down at the top of his head as he rested it against my shoulder, completely in awe that he was here, in my arms and apparently staying with me. But…

"What about Kenma?"

Hina shook his head. "It's not working with Kenma," he whispered only loud enough for me to hear. "We've both known for a while that it's not working and…and now you're here…" He shook his head again. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't try and make it work with him. I…" He looked up at me, his eyes still shining with tears. "I love you, Suga."

I moved my free hand to his face, brushing tears and rain from his cheeks. "Me, too," I whispered. I leaned toward him so that our lips were only a breath apart. "Hina, I love you, too." I closed to space between us and forgot everything but him.

 

*******

I smiled as I closed the manga in my hands and looked over at Hina who was practically vibrating on the sofa next to me, staring at me like he could divine what was in my head.

"Well?" he asked.

I chuckled and set the advanced copy of the manga on the side table. "Well. That's not exactly how it happened."

Hina rolled his eyes. "So what? What did you think of it?"

I took a deep breath and made a show of thinking carefully about my words.

Hina groaned. "Come on, Suga!"

I grinned and grabbed his arm, pulling him so he fell across my lap. He shifted so that he was more sitting across my lap instead of splayed face down over it. He pouted up at me and punched me lightly in the chest. "Seriously, Suga. What do you think?"

I shrugged, dragging it out. "Well you got the publishing contract, right?"

Hina's pout darkened and he pinched my arm. I yelped and laughed as I rubbed the spot. Then a shifted so I could thread both hands into his hair and ruffle it until it was a mess. Hina squawked and batted at my hands. "Suuugaaa!"

I laughed and disengaged my hands so I could wrap both arms around him, hugging him tight to me. "I love it, Hina."

He relaxed into my embrace and looked up at me. "Did you really have to drag that out?"

I grinned at him. "Of course I did. What fun would it have been if I just told you outright how freaking talented you are?" I leaned in and kissed his lips lightly. "Or how dedicated you are." I tilted my head so that I could nuzzle his neck and place a quick kiss there. "Or how adorable you are." I moved my mouth down along his jaw until I nipped at the tip of his chin. "Or how sexy you are…" I leaned in and captured his lips again. He let me kiss him for a while before he pulled away.

"What do those last two have to do with my manga?"

I laughed. "Everything of course!" 

I put my hands in his hair again, ruffling it for all I was worth until it turned into a wrestling match. Then it turned into something else altogether, and just before my mind was consumed with him I experienced a moment of utter contentment and joy and so glad that I got the chance to see him again for old time's sake.


End file.
